Find out how popular the last name Shade is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Shade.

Shade, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Shade surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shade in America

Shade is the 4919th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shade surname appeared 7,148 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Shade.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shade to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Shade

The surname Shade originated in Germany during the Middle Ages, derived from the medieval German word "schade," meaning "harm" or "damage." This name was likely initially bestowed as a descriptive nickname upon an individual who had suffered some form of misfortune or injury.

The earliest known record of the name Shade dates back to the late 13th century in the town of Nürnberg, where a certain Conrad Schade is mentioned in a local chronicle from the year 1287. This suggests that the name had already been in use as a hereditary surname by that time.

Shade is also believed to have been derived from the Old English word "sceadu," meaning "shade" or "shadow." This connection implies that the name may have been given to someone who lived or worked in a shaded or forested area, or perhaps someone with a darker complexion.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named Johann Shade (c. 1430-1503) was a German theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Erfurt. His writings on logic and metaphysics were influential during the Renaissance period.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Shade. However, there are several entries related to place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as "Schadewelle" (meaning "shaded well") and "Schadeworth" (meaning "shaded enclosure").

Another noteworthy individual bearing the Shade surname was Jakob Shade (1585-1637), a German Protestant minister and author who published several religious works during the early years of the Thirty Years' War.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Samuel Shade (1718-1792) was a successful merchant and landowner in Pennsylvania, United States. He was one of the earliest settlers of German descent in the region and played a significant role in the development of the local community.

During the American Revolutionary War, a soldier named John Shade (c. 1755-1823) served in the Continental Army and participated in several major battles, including the Battle of Trenton and the Battle of Princeton.

In the 19th century, a German-American artist named Frederick Shade (1832-1906) gained recognition for his landscape paintings, particularly those depicting the natural beauty of the Catskill Mountains in New York.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shade

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Shade.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Shade was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Shade has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Shade was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shade, please contact us.

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